TV Adaptations of Movies: A Complete Guide

A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN

WHAT TO EXPECT: A half-hour comedy adaptation of the 1992 film, which would start with the formation of the women’s baseball league in 1943 and follow the Rockford Peaches team, season to season, as they travel “across a rapidly changing United States.”

STATUS: In development at Amazon (March 2018)

THE ADVENTURES OF BUCKAROO BANZAI ACROSS THE 8TH DIMENSION

WHAT TO EXPECT: A small-screen adaptation of the 1984 cult film, which starred Peter Weller as a physicist/pilot/rock musician who, with his band of men, battled alien invaders

STATUS: Development is still on hold (March 2017) as MGM settles legal issues with Buckaroo creators Earl Mac Rauch and W.D. Richter regarding rights to the project.

AMERICAN GIGOLO

WHAT TO EXPECT: A drama series based on the 1980 film, which starred Richard Gere as a male escort who gets entangled with a politician’s wife and a murder case

STATUS: In development at Showtime (November 2016)

BAD BOYS

WHAT TO EXPECT:L.A.’s Finest, a TV spinoff of the Will Smith-Martin Lawrence movies, this time centering on Gabrielle Union’s film character, Special Agent Syd Burnett. Union will reprise her role in the series and star alongside Jessica Alba, who plays working mom Nancy McKenna.

STATUS: The series has been picked up by Charter Communications and will air on the company’s Spectrum Original Content platform, marking Spectrum’s first foray into original series.

BAD MOMS

WHAT TO EXPECT: A reality show inspired by the films starring Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell and Kathryn Hahn

STATUS: In the early stages of development at Fox (February 2018)

THE BAD SEED

WHAT TO EXPECT: A TV-movie remake of the classic 1956 horror film, which, in a gender-bending twist, will star Rob Lowe as the father of the titular troubled little girl

STATUS: Though Lowe is attached to star in and direct the project, Lifetime is still working to acquire the rights. (December 2017)

BEACHES

WHAT IT WAS: A modern-day, TV-movie remake of the 1988 tearjerker, starring Idina Menzel as CC (played by Bette Midler in the original film) and Nia Long as Hillary (originated by Barbara Hershey)

STATUS: Aired January 2017 on Lifetime

BEHIND ENEMY LINES

WHAT IT WAS: A potential drama series loosely based on the 2001 Owen Wilson-Gene Hackman movie, described as “a military soap thriller wherein a group of U.S. soldiers find themselves trapped behind enemy lines.”

STATUS: Not moving forward at Fox

BIG HERO 6

WHAT IT IS: An animated series based on the 2014 movie about a 14-year-old boy named Hiro and a giant, inflatable robot named Baymax

STATUS: Season 1 is currently airing Saturdays at 9 am ET on Disney Channel. (And it’s already renewed for a second season.)

BLUE CRUSH

WHAT TO EXPECT: A drama series based on the 2002 movie, which starred Kate Bosworth, Michelle Rodriguez and Sanoe Lake as a trio of friends riding waves in Hawaii

STATUS: In development at NBC (October 2017)

BOOMERANG

WHAT TO EXPECT: A half-hour series adaptation of the 1992 Eddie Murphy film, which will be an update set in the modern workplace and will consider concepts like “changing attitudes about gender roles and the clashes that can happen when Gen Xers and millennials have to work together.”

STATUS: Received a 10-episode, straight-to-series order at BET (April 2018)

CAR WASH

WHAT TO EXPECT: A workplace comedy based on the 1976 George Carlin-Richard Pryor film, which will explore one kid’s determination to create his own destiny, one man’s struggle to accept who he has become and the bonds they form at Deluxe Car Wash

STATUS: In development at ABC (November 2016)

CREEPSHOW

WHAT TO EXPECT: A small-screen adaptation of the cult-classic 1982 horror film, to be executive-produced by The Walking Dead EP Greg Nicotero

STATUS: Greenlit at the streaming service Shudder (July 2018) for a 2019 premiere

CRUEL INTENTIONS

WHAT IT WAS: A sequel series based on the 1999 film, centering on Bash Casey, the son of Sebastian Valmont (Ryan Phillippe) and Annette Hargrove (Reese Witherspoon)

THE DARK CRYSTAL

WHAT TO EXPECT:The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, a 10-episode prequel series that will take place “many years” before the events of Jim Henson’s 1982 film

STATUS: Ordered to series at Netflix (May 2017)

DEAR WHITE PEOPLE

WHAT IT IS: A half-hour comedy series based on Justin Simien’s Sundance award-winning 2014 film; the series follows a diverse group of students attending a mostly-white Ivy League school where race-related issues tend to get overlooked.

STATUS: Seasons 1 and 2 are now available to stream on Netflix; renewed for Season 3

THE DEPARTED

WHAT TO EXPECT: A drama series based on the 2006 Oscar-winning movie; the reboot will unfold in modern-day Chicago, where a rookie cop goes undercover in a Latino gang at the same time one of the gang’s members gains access to the city’s police department.

STATUS: In development at Amazon (August 2016)

DIRTY DANCING

WHAT IT WAS: A three-hour, made-for-TV remake of the 1987 Jennifer Grey-Patrick Swayze film

THE EDGE OF SEVENTEEN

WHAT TO EXPECT: A comedy spinoff based on the 2016 coming-of-age film, which will follow a high school student and her best friend “as they navigate the relationships, feelings and realities of being a teenage girl.”

STATUS: Received a pilot-production commitment at YouTube Red (May 2018)

ENEMY OF THE STATE

WHAT TO EXPECT: A reboot of the 1998 spy thriller starring Will Smith and Gene Hackman, which will be set two decades after the movie and follow an aggressive FBI agent who teams up with an idealistic female attorney in order to snuff out a global conspiracy

STATUS: In development at ABC (October 2016)

THE ESCORT

WHAT TO EXPECT: A drama series based on the 2015 film of the same name, about a sex-obsessed writer who retains the help of a Stanford-educated hooker as he researches a big story

STATUS: Pilot in development at MTV (July 2016)

ANYTHING ELSE?: Michael Doneger, who co-wrote and starred in the original movie, will write, executive-produce and star in the potential series.

THE EXORCIST

WHAT IT WAS: An hour-long modern reinvention of the classic 1973 horror film (which was based on William Blatty’s 1971 book)

THE EXPENDABLES

WHAT TO EXPECT: An event series based on Sylvester Stallone’s films of the same name, featuring iconic TV stars as a new team of terrorism-fighting, highly skilled heroes

STATUS: Not picked up at Fox; being shopped to other networks (June 2016)

THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS

WHAT TO EXPECT: An animated series based on Universal Pictures’ film franchise, which will follow Dominic Toretto’s teenage cousin Tony as he and his friends are “recruited by a government agency to infiltrate an elite racing league serving as a front for a nefarious crime organization.”

STATUS: Ordered to series at Netflix (April 2018)

FATAL ATTRACTION

WHAT IT WAS: An event-series adaptation of the 1987 Michael Douglas-Glenn Close film

THE FIRST WIVES CLUB

WHAT TO EXPECT: A half-hour TV series based on the 1996 film, which will take place in New York City and chronicle a sisterhood of diverse women who find strength in each other — and engage in a little revenge — after their marriages fall apart

STATUS: Ordered to series at Paramount Network (April 2018)

THE FLAMINGO KID

WHAT TO EXPECT: A half-hour comedy adaptation of Garry Marshall’s 1984 film, about a kid who takes a summer job at a beach resort to be near the girl of his dreams

STATUS: In development at ABC Studios (August 2015)

FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL

WHAT TO EXPECT: An hour-long anthology series based on the 1994 romantic comedy, which would follow a different group of friends and their matrimonial adventures each season

STATUS: Ordered to series at Hulu (May 2018), with Mindy Kaling attached to write and executive-produce the series.

FOXY BROWN

WHAT TO EXPECT: A TV-series reboot of the classic 1974 blaxploitation film, which starred Pam Grier as a woman seeking vengeance against a crime syndicate after her boyfriend is murdered

STATUS: In development at Hulu (December 2016)

ANYTHING ELSE?: Meagan Good (Minority Report) will star in the title role.

FREQUENCY

WHAT IT WAS: A reimagining of the 2000 sci-fi film, this time centering on a female police detective who discovers she is able to speak via ham radio with her estranged father — who died 20 years prior and was also a detective

STATUS:Cancelled at The CW after one season; an epilogue is available here.

GALAXY QUEST

WHAT TO EXPECT: A TV-series continuation of the 1999 sci-fi comedy

STATUS: After a year-plus delay, the project is now back on track (August 2017), with writer/comedian Paul Scheer (The League) on board to pen the script.

GET SHORTY

WHAT IT IS: A modern-day reimagining of the 1995 John Travolta film

STATUS: Season 2 is currently airing Sundays at 9/8c on Epix.

THE GIRLFRIEND EXPERIENCE

WHAT IT IS: A scripted anthology series based on Steven Soderbergh’s 2009 film, exploring the lives of exclusive courtesans who become romantic partners and confidants for their clients

GONE BABY GONE

WHAT IT WAS: A potential drama based on the 2007 film (which was adapted from Dennis Lehane’s best-selling book), which would have centered on detectives Patrick Kenzie (The Originals‘ Joseph Morgan) and Angela Gennaro who “right wrongs the law can’t in the working-class Boston borough of Dorchester.”

STATUS: Not moving forward at Fox

HANNA

WHAT TO EXPECT: A drama series, based on the 2011 film, which will follow an extraordinary young girl as she evades the relentless pursuit of an off-book CIA agent and tries to unearth the truth behind who she is

STATUS: Ordered to series at Amazon (May 2017); The Killing‘s Joel Kinnaman and Mireille Enos will star.

HEATHERS

WHAT IT WAS: A half-hour, single-camera modern reimagining of the 1988 cult film, which starred Winona Ryder and Christian Slater

STATUS: After multiple delays, Paramount Network has decided not to air the series at all, stating that the reboot’s satirical depiction of violence inside a high school “didn’t feel right.”

HERBIE

WHAT TO EXPECT: A potential new series that will involve the iconic, anthropomorphic Volkswagen Beetle that first appeared in the 1968 film The Love Bug

STATUS: In development at Disney XD (June 2017)

HIDDEN FIGURES

WHAT TO EXPECT: A small-screen adaptation of the 2016 film, which told the story of a team of female, African-American mathematicians who played a vital role at NASA during the early years of the U.S. space program

STATUS: In the early stages of development at Nat Geo (April 2018)

HIGH FIDELITY

WHAT TO EXPECT: A gender-flipped version of the 2000 film, which will center on a female record store owner detailing past relationships

STATUS: In development at Disney (April 2018), where it will be a part of the company’s upcoming streaming service

HOCUS POCUS

WHAT TO EXPECT: A TV-movie remake of the 1993 film, which starred Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy as three witches accidentally resurrected in Salem, Mass.

STATUS: In development at Disney Channel (September 2017)

THE ITALIAN JOB

WHAT TO EXPECT: A potential series inspired by the 1969 film (and its 2003 remake), which will center on a makeshift family of expert criminals who are forced out of retirement when an opportunity arises to get their beloved patriarch out of jail

JAWBREAKER

WHAT TO EXPECT: A series adaptation of the 1999 teen film, which will feature a clique of Beverly Hills friends who are forced to keep a terrible secret after a bachelorette party gone wrong

STATUS: In development at E! (February 2017)

JOHN WICK

WHAT TO EXPECT:The Continental, a TV-series adaptation of the Keanu Reeves film franchise; set in the John Wick universe, the series will explore the inner workings of the exclusive Continental Hotel, which serves as a refuge for assassins.

STATUS: In development at Starz (January 2018)

ANYTHING ELSE?: Reeves will serve as an executive producer and is expected to make an appearance on the show at some point.

JUMPER

WHAT TO EXPECT: A small-screen version of the 2008 film, which centered on a man with the ability to “jump” from one place to another in an instant

STATUS: In development for Studio Canal, New Regency and Lionsgate (August 2017)

THE KARATE KID

WHAT IT IS:Cobra Kai, a half-hour dramedy continuation of the classic 1984 film, in which Ralph Macchio and William Zabka reprise their roles as Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence

STATUS: Season 1 is now available to stream on YouTube Red; renewed for Season 2, to air sometime in 2019

L.A. CONFIDENTIAL

WHAT TO EXPECT: A drama-series adaptation of the 1997 film (which was based on James Ellroy’s 1990 novel); set in 1950s Los Angeles, the series will center on a trio of homicide detectives, a woman reporter and an aspiring actress whose paths cross when the detectives pursue a serial killer.

STATUS: Pilot ordered at CBS (February 2018)

LESS THAN ZERO

WHAT TO EXPECT: A TV adaptation of the 1987 film, which was loosely based on Bret Easton Ellis’ novel of the same name; the project will follow a college freshman returning home for Christmas to spend time with his ex-girlfriend and a friend who struggles with addiction

STATUS: Pilot ordered at Hulu (July 2018)

LETHAL WEAPON

WHAT IT IS: An hour-long action series based on the 1987 film starring Danny Glover and Mel Gibson

STATUS: Season 3 premieres Tuesday, Sept. 25, at 9/8c on Fox, with Seann William Scott set to replace fired star Clayne Crawford.

THE LORD OF THE RINGS

WHAT TO EXPECT: A small-screen adaptation that will explore new storylines preceding J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring

STATUS: Amazon has acquired the global TV rights to Tolkien’s novels (November 2017), with a multi-season commitment that includes a potential additional spinoff series.

THE LOST BOYS

WHAT TO EXPECT: An anthology-series adaptation of the 1987 horror-comedy

STATUS: In redevelopment at The CW (February 2017), with an eye on the 2018-19 season

THE MIGHTY DUCKS

WHAT TO EXPECT: A TV series based on the classic ’90s hockey movie trilogy

STATUS: Although the films’ original screenwriter Steven Brill is drafting a script for ABC Signature Studios, the potential series is still in early development and is not yet attached to a network. (January 2018)

MY BEST FRIEND’S WEDDING

WHAT TO EXPECT: A single-camera, half-hour comedy that will serve as a sequel to the 1997 Julia Roberts film

STATUS: In development at ABC (October 2015)

THE NICE GUYS

WHAT TO EXPECT:The Nice Girls, a female-led series adaptation of the 2016 film starring Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe

THE PURGE

WHAT TO EXPECT: An adaptation of Blumhouse Productions’ harrowing film franchise that will follow several seemingly unrelated characters living in a small city during a 12-hour period when all crime, including murder, is legal

STATUS: Premiering Tuesday, Sept. 4, at 10/9c on USA Network

RAMBO

WHAT TO EXPECT: A sequel series based on the Rambo film franchise, focusing on the relationship between John Rambo and his adult son J.R., a former Navy SEAL who does not appear in any of the four movies

STATUS: In development at Fox (January 2016)

ANYTHING ELSE?: Despite initial reports saying he would executive-produce the series, Rambo star Sylvester Stallone will have no involvement of any kind in the project, according to Deadline.

RED

WHAT TO EXPECT: An hour-long action-comedy based on the film franchise, which will focus on the Retired Extremely Dangerous (aka RED) operatives as they struggle to survive civilian life

STATUS: In development at NBC (August 2015)

THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW

WHAT IT WAS: A TV-movie remake of the classic cult film, starring Laverne Cox (Orange Is the New Black) as Dr. Frank-N-Furter

STATUS: Aired October 2016 on Fox

RUSH HOUR

WHAT IT WAS: A drama series based on the 1998 feature film, following a stoic Hong Kong police officer who is forced to work with a cocky African-American LAPD cop

SINGLE WHITE FEMALE

WHAT TO EXPECT: A TV-series reboot of the ’90s thriller, which will move the action to San Francisco instead of New York

STATUS: Received a script commitment from NBC (December 2016)

SHOOTER

WHAT IT IS: A drama series based on the 2007 film, which was adapted from Stephen Hunter’s 1993 novel Point of Impact

STATUS: Season 3 is currently airing Thursdays at 10/9c on USA Network.

SNATCH

WHAT IT IS: A crime-comedy series based on the 2000 movie of the same name; the new version revolves around a group of twentysomething hustlers who are thrust into the world of organized crime after stumbling upon a truckload of stolen gold bullion.

STATUS: Season 1 is now streaming on Crackle; all 10 episodes of Season 2 will premiere Thursday, Sept. 13.

SNEAKERS

WHAT TO EXPECT: A contemporary adaptation of the 1992 crime dramedy starring Robert Redford

STATUS: Script ordered at NBC (October 2016)

SNOWPIERCER

WHAT TO EXPECT: An hour-long, futuristic thriller based on the 2013 film in which the only survivors of a post-apocalyptic world live on a globe-trotting, stratified train

STATUS: Ordered to series at TNT (January 2018); Hamilton‘s Daveed Diggs and Oscar winner Jennifer Connelly will star in the 10-episode adaptation.

STEP UP

WHAT IT IS:Step Up: High Water, a scripted drama based on the popular dance film franchise, which centers on dancers in a contemporary performing arts school

STATUS: All 10 episodes of Season 1 are available on YouTube Red; renewed for Season 2

STRIPES

WHAT TO EXPECT: A single-camera comedy series based on the 1981 film starring Bill Murray and Harold Ramis

STATUS: In development at CBS (November 2017)

S.W.A.T.

WHAT IT IS: A TV adaptation of the 2003 film (which itself was based on the 1970s TV show) that centers on an African-American S.W.A.T. lieutenant whose loyalties are divided between his fellow cops and the tough streets he grew up on

STATUS: Season 2 premieres Thursday, Sept. 27, at 10/9c on CBS.

TAKEN

WHAT IT WAS: A prequel series based on the 2008 film, which followed a young Bryan Mills as he acquired his “particular set of skills”

VARSITY BLUES

WAG THE DOG

WHAT TO EXPECT: A half-hour comedy series adaptation of the 1997 film, which starred Dustin Hoffman and Robert De Niro as two men who attempt to distract the public from a presidential sex scandal by creating a fake war with Albania

STATUS: In development at HBO (April 2017)

THE WARRIORS

WHAT TO EXPECT: A reimagining of the 1979 cult film about New York City gangs (which was an adaptation of Sol Yurick’s 1965 novel of the same name)

STATUS: In development at Hulu (July 2016)

WHAT ABOUT BOB?

WHAT IT WAS:What About Barb?, an adaptation of the 1991 comedy, this time with two females (Jessica Gunning and Leah Remini) playing the lead roles (originated in the film by Bill Murray and Richard Dreyfuss)